As much as I love watching Jeremiah play basketball this week has been really rough on me ... Hotel room, nothing to do in Memphis, HOT HOT HOT, driving from gym to gym, the littles sitting in bleachers, and just packing for each game (snacks, drinks, drinks, and more drinks) and definitely making sure all ELECTRONICS are charge (not to mention there is 13 people in our family this trip)  ... It has really worn me out ... So last night sweet Morgan agreed to take all the littles to a movie so Retta and I could go see a comedy ... Well, have I ever told you how directionally dysfunctional I am!!! It is such an understatement and I believe the gps on my car was built in the 1980's - so we accidentally pick a theater that is to far away - got lost - and arrive only to find out that our movie is SOLD OUT ... AFTER WE HAD ALREADY BOUGHT THE LILS TICKETS ... so we must pick another movie ... CAN I JUST SAY THE MOVIE WE PICKED WAS DEPRESSING AND LITERALLY MADE ME CRY ... ( keep thinking WHY ME !!! I just want to laugh) ... The whole movie was just so so so sad and depressing till the last 30 seconds when the whole story turns HOPEFUL ... I seriously needed more than 30 SECONDS !!!

I guess you could look on the bright side and perhaps it gave me a reason to shed a few tears that had built up from the week, but OH BOY I WOULD MUCH RATHER LAUGH ... You see not only has it been crazy here, but you know what a hotel room does to my kids !!! Let me just tell you - Maggie for some reason thinks I am going to be leaving at any moment therefore she holds on to my ARM all day with a KUNG FU grip (saying Mommy I want you), Daisy cries about every 2 seconds if things are NOT COMPLETELY FAIR (and that is the hardest lesson to learn NOTHING IS FAIR) and then Elijah and Emily fight like WWE NON-STOP !!!!  And of course there is sweet Joseph who you have to make sure is not escaping the room to go find the POOL, BASKETBALL COURT or trying to find one of the other player's room ...

NEVER NEVER NEVER NEVER A DULL MOMENT ...

I would love to leave you w/ a piece of wisdom, but I am fresh out !!!  hee hee

I think I am going to start documenting things that I call HIDDEN CAMERA MOMENTS ... I will be in the middle of something or someone will say something or my kids will do something and I JUST KNOW THERE IS A HIDDEN CAMERA CAPTURING IT ... so I think I will start documenting these little bleeps in my life ... They may be short or long and I may sometimes have to throw people I love under the bus, but it is too funny not to share ...

HIDDEN CAMERA MOMENT

OK, so we are in Memphis for the AAU national basketball tournament ... It is as HOT here as it was in HAITI ... It is over 100 degrees and unless I am missing something there is not much to do here ... So after much consideration we resort to going to a MCDONALD'S playland for the littles to get some of their energy out since they are spending a lot of time in cars and gyms ... We finally find one that is not completely packed ... NOW add to the equation that my aunt, uncle, their 2 grandsons and our super fantabulous great grandmother is here (w/ her walker and cane) ... So we trek in and order only to find out once we have sat down that their BATHROOMS are under construction and you are more than welcome to use the PORTA POTTIES outside past the LANE OF DRIVE THRU TRAFFIC AND ACROSS THE PARKING LOT ... and did I mention I have 3 kids w/ the bladder the size of a PEA ... not to mention the smell from the porta potty left NOTHING THE IMAGINATION !!!

well that is adventure number 74 of the this 7 day trip to MEMPHIS ... I will keep you posted ... hee hee ... boys are playing great ... they won their pool play and entered the championship round !!!  There were 96 teams now down to 48 in the country ... PRAYING WE PLAY WELL, HAVE FUN AND ARE TESTIMONY ON THE COURT !!!

I would tell you about the guy thats team was losing and he decided that spouting the F-word in front of my kids and walking on the court during the game would be smart ... I will tell you I told him in NO UNCERTAIN TERMS was he to speak like that in front of my children again ... AND THIS MAMA BEAR DON'T PLAY !!!

love ya !!!

The way to shine LIGHT into DARKNESS is by loving people, meeting their needs, and proclaiming Jesus ... That is our goal w/ the LOVE+ 1 PROJECTS by 147 Million Orphans ... be a part of 147 and together we will be the CITY ON A HILL THAT CAN NOT BE HIDDEN ...  Join us and build a kitchen and clinic w/ a pharmacy, dental practice, urgent care, birthing center, and surgical room...  donate at 147millionorphans.org or buy at the store at 147millionorphans.com ... We are some determined mamas and we want to effect change in places where children are hurting ... We have the tools, the people, and the knowledge on the ground to get these projects accomplished ... We just need to raise the funds now ... And that is the easy part because where MUCH HAS BEEN GIVEN MUCH WILL BE REQUIRED ... The O team already has a check ready to give ... I can't wait for the first patient to be seen (only God could send a architectural designer - specializing in third world design) to the exact spot in Haiti where a clinic is needed and he be willing to build the school (that is almost done) and stay as long as needed till the clinic and all other projects are done ... GOD SPOKE AND PEOPLE ARE LISTENING ... will you ??? thanks for always praying for us in my home and at 147 ... As we grow closer to the LORD and follow his plan for our lives the more attack we feel ... We will fight against it as we battle and know the lives of children and loving on them is far greater than cowering back and doing nothing ... blessings !!!

I met sweet Anna Bliss when she was in the 6th grade and I was her volleyball coach ... She was an awkward tall lanky girl who loved to horse back ride with a smile that screamed JOY ... She has watched our family come home with all four of our precious adopted angels and even came along on the journey to bring Joseph and Daisy home from Uganda ... She has grown into a woman who knows her LORD and speaks up for those who have NO VOICE ... She has spent nights in the hospital with me during Maggie's surgeries, laid out by the pool playing withthe kids, been on vacation with the crazy MAYVALL crew, and spent lots of hours just loving on our family ... She is speaking through the eyes of her heart in this post ... She is spending the summer in Uganda serving, loving, and seeking God !!! Enjoy the post and be challenged ... I am so proud of our Anna Bliss !!!